450 results about "Gravity feed" patented technology

Systems, methods, and devices for preparation of water for various uses including blood treatment are described. In embodiments, fluid is passed either by pump or passively by gravity feed, through various filtration elements from a fluid source to a treatment fluid container The latter forms a batch that may be used during treatment. Methods and systems for creating multiple-treatment batches are described. Advantages of creating a multitreatment batch include the fact that the burden of treatment preparation can be reduced and the timing of the preparation of the batch can be independent of the treatment time. As described, there are various trade-offs and concerns with this approach which are addressed by the inventive embodiments.

A gravity-fed fuel delivery system is provided. A central storage tank holds fuel to re-supply a number of pump trucks or other mechanized equipment, such as on a hydraulic fracturing location, and can be selectively raised or lowered. Hoses or other conduits extend from the central storage tank to individual fuel tanks of the equipment to be refueled. Adapters allow connection of the distal end of each hose or conduit to an inlet opening of a fuel tank. A float valve assembly senses when fuel inside an individual fuel tank is below a predetermined level, thereby mechanically opening a valve assembly to permit fluid to flow from the central storage tank, through a conduit, through the float valve assembly and into the fuel tank.

A card feed system for feeding cards into a card handling system is disclosed. The system includes a card input department with a playing card support surface, a front wall, a rear wall and two side walls. The playing card support surface slopes towards the front wall at an angle between 12 and 22 degrees. A slot is provided in the front wall to allow single cards to pass into the card handling system. The card feed system also includes a card moving system to advance cards through the slot.

A hands-free personal hydration delivery system has a tubing assembly that has one end that detachably connects to a feed tube for a container of fluid worn on the back or torso of a user. The other end of the tubing assembly is coupled to a bite valve which is opened when manipulated by the user's mouth to allow fluid to be drawn by suction applied by the user, and is closed when not being manipulated so as to cut off fluid flow in an air-tight condition. An intermediate portion of the tubing assembly is mounted on the user's head or to the user's headgear at a position of higher elevation than the user's mouth. This allows fluid to be drawn to the elevated position and flow downward from there to the user's mouth by gravity feed. The fluid flow can then continue with little suction effort due to the gravity feed and siphoning effect of fluid from the container. The tubing can be mounted using retainer loops or other type of fasteners attached to a helmet, sports cap, head band bracket, headphone bracket, headband, or an earpiece worn by the user. The hydration delivery system is especially useful for bicycling, canoeing, mountain biking, kayaking, canoe paddling, and rowing environments.

A method for loading and unloading of dry bulk freight containers vertically, and a device in the form of an improved intermodal dry bulk freight container for vertical loading and unloading. Standardized corner locks may be used and dimensions may be selected so as to provide a standardized cargo container.The present invention teaches that an intermodal dry bulk freight container may be loaded in either the customary horizontal orientation of such devices, or in a vertical orientation in which one end is opened and elevated. In particular, however, such a container may advantageously be emptied by elevating it into the vertical orientation. The method of the invention is thus to provide only a single hopper and yet allow one hopper to empty the entire container, as well as providing a more efficient gravity feed of bulk cargo as it is off loaded.The present invention furthermore teaches an intermodal dry bulk freight container suitable for this method of operation. In the presently preferred embodiment, the container is loaded conventionally via hatches on the top of the container when it is in a horizontal orientation, but is unloaded via a single hopper located at the lower end when the container is raised into the vertical orientation.

A system includes a forwarding skid configured to forward a liquid supply from a liquid storage vessel toward a downstream component. The forwarding skid includes a pumping system configured to receive a gravity feed of the liquid supply from the liquid storage vessel, and the pumping system is configured to pump the liquid fuel supply toward the downstream component. The forwarding skid also includes a monitoring system configured to obtain at least one sensed parameter of the gravity feed of the liquid supply received at the forwarding skid upstream from the pumping system. The at least one sensed parameter is indicative of a supply level remaining at the liquid storage vessel.

An integrally molded display floor for a gravity feed display tray where the floor devoid of integrally molded side walls extending upward therefrom, has front and rear end walls, and a plurality of longitudinal ribs which can receive upward extending partitions which are releasably attachable to the floor and extend longitudinally, thus dividing the display tray into laterally spaced paths. Each display tray has opposite side walls extending downward, and transversely extending beams intersecting the longitudinal ribs. The end walls, side walls, and bottom surfaces of the longitudinal ribs thus establishing a basement where the bottom surfaces of the ribs constitute the ceiling of the basement. This basement is a space suitable for receiving downward extending tabs of the partitions to engage and stabilize such partitions with the display track. The basement also provides suitable space for lateral extending coupling means from one display track to the next for coupling adjacent display tracks to provide a wider transverse area thereof. Furthermore, the basement allows space for further coupling members extending from the rear end of any display track element to the front end of the next for coupling thereto.

A card-feeding device for feeding cards into a card-handling device is disclosed. Examples of card-handling devices include shufflers, card sorters, card delivery devices and card verification devices. The device includes a card infeed area that supports a stack of cards. The card infeed area has a card support surface. Included in the device is a card-removing system that removes cards individually from the bottom of the stack. A pivoting arm presses against a card at the top of the stack. At least one sensor is provided that detects at least one of a position of the arm and a presence of a card in the card infeed area. A method of shuffling cards is also disclosed. The method includes the steps of providing cards to be shuffled into a card infeed area as a stack with a top and bottom and removing cards one at a time from the bottom of the stack and moving the removed cards to a shuffling zone. Cards are then shuffled. The stack of cards is stabilized by a pivoting arm capable of pressing against the top of the stack in an engaged position. The pivot arm may be automatically rotated from a first card-engaging position to a second recessed position.

In a driven axle assembly (12) for a motor vehicle that includes a differential housing located substantially in the center of the axle and tubes (16, 17) extending laterally from the differential, surrounding axle shafts (20) and opening into a lubricant reservoir (60) in the differential housing, a system for circulating and cooling axle lubricant includes a cover (26) for closing and sealing the housing having a first aperture into the housing where a ring gear rotates through the lubricant reservoir. The aperture in the cover opens to a chamber that holds lubricant carried through the aperture by the rotating ring gear. Conduit (72) connected by a hydraulic fitting to the chamber has its opposite end connected to an oil cooler mounted on the axle tube. Conduit (78) returns the lubricant to the reservoir in the differential housing. Lubricant flows via a gravity feed through the first conduit into the cooler and back to the housing reservoir via the second conduit, effectively cooling the lubricant without the addition of a pump.

A system architecture for closed loop control of infusion devices is described. The architecture provides means to control the flow from an infusion device as well as in some embodiments the pressure of the delivery. A variety of infusion systems are described that use the closed loop control architecture. In some embodiments the closed loop control may be adapted to current commonly used infusion means such as a gravity feed intravenous system. Other embodiments describe infusion pump system that use biasing or drive mechanisms of springs, elastomers, rotary and linear motors.

A novel fluid supply cup comprises a flexible liner integral with a container having an opening and a vent. A novel method of manufacturing a lined container comprises the steps of molding a container having a vented thick-walled portion and an integral flexible thin-walled liner, and folding the thin-walled liner into the thick-walled portion. Finally, a novel method of applying a fluid comprises the steps of providing a flexible liner integral with a container having an opening and a vent, loading fluid into the liner, engaging the container with a fluid applicator, flowing the fluid out of the liner into the fluid applicator, collapsing the liner, and flowing the fluid of the fluid applicator.

A wood-fuel pellet burner assembly, such as for barbecues, includes a gravity-feed pellet fuel hopper positioned in alignment with a pellet fuel intake and a perforated pellet fuel slide that extends to a combustion region. A DC ignitor has a heating element that extends into the combustion region, and a DC fan is positioned to direct a flow of air through the perforated pellet fuel slide and into the combustion region. A DC power source, such as a vehicle-grade 12-volt battery, is coupled to and powers the DC ignitor and the DC fan.

A controlled gravity feed shelf system features a framework and at least one insert. The insert includes a number of support rails at least partially forming a front portion of the insert and a rear portion of the insert. A number of first rollers are rotatably mounted on the front portion of the insert, where each of the first rollers has a first diameter. A number of second rollers are rotatably mounted on the rear portion of the insert, where each of said second rollers has a second diameter. The first diameter of the first rollers is smaller than the second diameter of the second rollers. The insert is positioned within the framework so as the rear portion of the insert is positioned vertically higher than the front portion of the insert.

A line management apparatus for managing multiple IV lines connected in a Y fitting or multi-way fitting provides for flow sensing and for electronic control of flow in the multiple lines. The line management apparatus may be used independently as a precise gravity feed IV system or may provide for use in combination with an infusion pump to ensure proper delivery of multiple solutions without blending of the two.

An improved gravity feed product dispenser track apparatus for products sold in containers having a truncated conical shape, such as a bell shape or an inverted bell shape used for certain popular yogurt products. The dispenser track assembly of the present disclosure aligns the products on a track with a front discharge portion and an exit ramp that tilts the lead product forward or rearward so that the inclined or declined front surface of the container is pivoted to a more vertical state to improve its visibility for customers. A plurality of pull through fingers is disposed near front discharge portion. These fingers maintain a lead container on the track while also allowing a customer to remove a container by pulling it through the opening between the fingers.

A process employing a wet mixer having a vertical mixing chamber for forming a wet slurry of a cementitious powder and liquid. The vertical mixing chamber is designed to provide the required amount of mixing to provide thoroughly mixed, uniformly thin slurry within a mixing residence time that allows for adequate supply of slurry to ensure continuous operation of an associated cement panel production line. Gravity feed means for supply of cementitious powder and water to the slurry mixing area of the chamber is also disclosed.

A top-fill hummingbird feeder is provided having a liquid container with a liquid flow opening at a lower end and a removable cap at an upper end, a feeding basin positioned below the liquid container, and a valve or sealing mechanism associated with the liquid flow opening and the feeding basin. The feeding basin includes an upwardly extending cylindrical well that receives the lower end of the liquid container, and the valve or sealing mechanism includes a float valve associated with the well. The feeding basin is filled by gravity feed of the liquid in the container through the liquid flow opening when the sealing mechanism is open. When the feeding basin reaches a full position, the liquid nectar raises the float valve which, in turn, acts to close the liquid flow opening.

A portable water treatment system includes at least one sub-system to treat water including a flocculation system, a chlorination system, and a bio-sand filter system. The water treatment system may include multiple sub-systems for treating water that feed into one another. The sand filter system may include a mini bio-sand filter, a foam filter, or a pressed block filter. The flocculation system may include a tank bottom that urges settling particles toward a sump and a ladle that removes settled particles. A manual pump or siphon may be included in the water treatment system.

A product metering napkin dispenser includes a housing defining a storage magazine for receiving a stack of folded napkins and a metering member that penetrates the stack in order to segregate a predetermined number of napkins from the remainder of the stack for dispensing. Preferred embodiments include gravity feed napkin dispensers. In various embodiments the metering member may include: a pivoting plate cooperating with a hinged trap door support surface; a rotating semicircular disk co-rotating with a support disk; or a reciprocating jaw assembly urging napkins through an aperture.

A wet mixer apparatus and method for its use, the mixer having a vertical mixing chamber for forming a wet slurry of a cementitious slurry and water. The vertical mixing chamber is designed to provide the required amount of mixing to provide thoroughly mixed, uniformly thin slurry within a mixing residence time that allows for adequate supply of slurry to ensure continuous operation of an associated cement panel production line. Gravity feeding for separate supply of cementitious powder and water to the slurry mixing area of the chamber without pre-mixing of the powder and water is also disclosed.

Described is an accurate, easy to use and inexpensive device and method for substantially immediate detection and indication of malfunction in an intravenous delivery system. The two piece device includes a disposable conduit body interconnected with the tubing of an intravenous delivery system and a reusable clamp apparatus that is deployed around the conduit body. The conduit body is highly sensitive to pressure changes inside the tubing. The clamp apparatus contains a sensing mechanism that discerns the responses of the conduit body to the change in line pressure from below to above atmospheric pressure. Also located in the clamp apparatus is an indication system that indicates if that change in pressure has occurred.

A dispenser for dispensing at two flow rates eductively draws a chemical fluid such as a concentrated cleaning solution for diluting with a motive fluid such as water. Using eduction rather than gravity feed provides a consistent dilution ratio over a range of pressures of the motive fluid. A chemical reservoir contains the chemical fluid and a bottle insert assembly for interfacing to the dispenser. The bottle insert assembly seals an opening to the reservoir when the reservoir is not inserted in the dispenser, preventing leaks. Also, the bottle insert assembly includes dual pickup tubes, each with a purge accumulator, to allow dual rate flow at the same or different dilution ratios as well as drawing back unused chemical fluids from the dispenser to avoid carryover or contamination.

A top-fill hummingbird feeder is provided having a liquid container with a liquid flow opening at a lower end and a removable cap at an upper end, a feeding basin positioned below the liquid container, and a sealing mechanism associated with the liquid flow opening and the feeding basin. The sealing mechanism includes a bottle seal assembly configured for removable coupling with a base of the feeding basin, and a float valve captured by said bottle seal assembly to prevent rotation thereof while allowing the float valve to move upwardly and downwardly with changing nectar levels in the feeding basin. The feeding basin is filled by gravity feed of the liquid in the container through the liquid flow opening when the sealing mechanism is open. When the feeding basin reaches a full position, the liquid nectar raises the float valve which, in turn, acts to close the liquid flow opening.

Systems, methods, and devices for preparation of water for various uses including blood treatment are described. In embodiments, fluid is passed either by pump or passively by gravity feed, through various filtration elements from a fluid source to a treatment fluid container. The latter forms a batch that may be used during treatment. The advantage of forming the batch before treatment is that the rate of filtering needn't match the rate of consumption during treatment which provides multiple benefits and liabilities to overcome, as discussed herein. Mechanisms for preparing pure water for infusion or medicaments are described such as elimination of chlorine and colloidal aluminum. Also various control mechanisms to help avoid contamination are describe.

A concurrent use water cooler capable of simultaneously dispensing a single fluid to two or more users is presented. The invention includes a container having a single reservoir therein, a lid contacting and removable from the container, at least two spigots disposed about and attached to the container, a vent hole, and a plug to close the vent hole. Spigots communicate with the single reservoir and enable the gravity-fed dispensing of a single fluid. At least one spigot has a threaded spout allowing attachment of a fluid supply line. The threaded spigot is biased to resist the static pressure associated with fluid within the supply line so as to remain closed unless actuated by the user. An optional stand contacts and supports the water cooler. One or more cup dispensers may be attached to the container or stand. The present invention has immediate applicability to sports teams, military units, construction crews, and the like, where two or more persons consume a potable liquid.